The National Geographic Magazine
National Geographic Photographer Volkmar Wentzel
A Londoner Raised Rota in His Yard, Moved Him to the Zoo During the Blitz
This lion was only a cub when George Thomson, a Fellow of the Zoological Society of London, took him
home. In 1940, when bombs began to fall, Mr. Thomson moved his pet to London's zoo. In 1943 he gave
the beast to Winston Churchill, who sagaciously left him where he was. Rota has sired some 30 cubs.
the boa on Jane's shoulder looked me in the
eye as if to see how I liked the experience. I
silently tried to assure my reptilian friend
that there was nothing for either of us to get
excited about (page 783).
Thousands of Amateur Animal Tamers
The London Zoo's animals, in short, don't
act quite like ordinary beasts. But then,
neither do Londoners act quite like ordinary
zoo crowds.
"Look at the people coming through those
gates," said Mr. Strang.
"Almost any one of
them is an experienced animal tamer."
By the time I myself had been "tamed"
by many a visit to Regent's Park, I had to
agree that Mr. Strang was right.
The feel of the place is evident any sunny
summer afternoon in the Children's Zoo, a
special pets' corner. Here llamas, goats, wal
labies, ponies, donkeys, rabbits, woolly lambs,
parrots, pigs, poultry, pigeons, and even a
reindeer and a baby elephant-all cared for
by pretty hostesses-roam freely to kiss and
to be kissed by tiny visitors (page 777).
This special Children's Zoo was opened in
1935 to bring together zoo babies and London
babies even more intimately than the larger
enclosures would allow.
Like many other
Regent's Park "firsts," it has since been copied
at zoos around the world.
Here on an August bank holiday I watched
a llama, trapped within a ring of squealing
children, condescending to a Cockney burden
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